“People of U.P are not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader. People of Uttar Pradesh require a change and Congress is failing to give that change," Rita Joshi told TIMES NOW.

In an exclusive conversation with TIMES NOW on Thursday, Rita Bahuguna Joshi reiterated that Uttar Pradesh requires a change in its government, which Congress failed to make, and which can be brought about by the BJP. The former UPCC chief today joined the BJP after resigning from Congress on October 20.

“People of UP are not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader. People of Uttar Pradesh require a change and Congress is failing to give that change. UP requires change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership can bring the change,” Rita Joshi told TIMES NOW.

After joining the BJP, Rita Joshi addressed the media with party president Amit Shah as she claimed that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is not being able to take his party forward. Moreover, Rahul Gandhi campaigned across Uttar Pradesh last month, which votes next year.

“Uttar Pradesh has rejected Congress. They are not being able to make a change,” Rita Joshi told TIMES NOW as she claimed to have served 24 years of her ‘best time’ to Congress.

Congress’ Raj Babbar branded Rita Bahuguna Joshi as a traitor after she moved to BJP while she said that this “is not opportunism but opportunity.”

“If I can help in bringing UP out of this melee, I do not mind being called opportunistic,” she said.

Previously, political leaders such as Himanta Biswa Sarma, Vijay Bahuguna and Pema Khandu, have quit the Congress and joined other parties.

“So many big leaders have left the party. Instead of accusing of opportunism, they should introspect,” Rita Joshi told TIMES NOW, adding that she is ‘happy’ to have moved.

The senior leader also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Khoon Ki Dalaali’ comment as he said that the Centre benefitted from the surgical strikes which the Indian Army conducted last month on terror launch pads across the Line of Control. Political parties, including Congress, have questioned the strikes and demanded proof.

“I was deeply hurt when we (Congress) joined the chorus of smaller parties who asked for proof of the surgical strikes. We should have stood by the government,” she told TIMES NOW.